Jeff Boozell is a partner in Quinn Emanuel’s Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on complex, high-stakes civil tort and business litigation matters, including mass torts. He has represented both defendants and plaintiffs in a wide variety of cases involving negligence, fraud, complex contract disputes, product defect, inverse condemnation, trade secrets, and patent infringement.
Mr. Boozell has deep experience in wildland fire cases, having represented Pacific Gas and Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric, two of the largest electric utilities in the country, with respect to billions of dollars in wildfire claims. He is currently lead counsel for Kamehameha Schools in connection with claims stemming from the 2023 Maui wildfires. His mass tort experience includes litigating key issues involving inverse condemnation, class action certification, causation, and damages in both trial courts and appellate courts.
In 2023 and 2024, Mr. Boozell was recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers for Global Energy Disputes & Litigation.
- Kamehameha Schools
- ImmunityBio
- Adcentrx Therapeutics
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company
- San Diego Gas & Electric Company
- Sempra Energy
- Southern California Gas Company
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Toyota Motor Sales
- American West Homes
- International Business Machines
- Roche Molecular Systems
Wildfire and Mass Tort:
- Representing Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii’s largest landowner, as lead counsel in connection with wildfire claims arising out of the 2023 Maui wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures and caused over 100 deaths. Mediated and negotiated $4 billion global settlement that will resolve all claims against the defendants, on behalf of Kamehameha Schools.
- Represented Pacific Gas and Electric Company with respect to wildfire-related mass tort claims involving thousands of plaintiffs, including subrogated insurers, government entities, and homeowners, asserting approximately $2 billion in damage claims. Resolved hundreds of claims through mediation. Obtained reversal and dismissal of all claims for punitive damages against PG&E from the California Court of Appeal in Pacific Gas and Electric Company v. Superior Court, following denial by the trial court of a summary judgment motion.
- Represented San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Sempra Energy in wildfire-related mass tort and class actions involving total damage claims in excess of $5.5 billion stemming from the 2007 San Diego wildfires. Received dismissal of all class actions. Settled over $1 billion of subrogation claims by 120 property insurers and over 2500 claims by home and business owners seeking billions of dollars in uninsured damage. Recovered $824 million for client from three cross defendants before trial. Represented SDG&E in various appeals involving inverse condemnation, including in proceedings in the US Supreme Court challenging the California Public Utilities Commission’s denial of SDG&E’s request to recover inverse condemnation costs paid because of of those fires.
- Represented Southern California Gas Company in connection with an appeal in California Supreme Court. Obtained unanimous decision reaffirming the economic loss rule in California and requiring dismissal of actions against SoCalGas for indirect economic harms to local businesses allegedly suffered after a gas leak.
Other Litigation:
- Representing Adcentrx Therapeutics in a trade secret dispute related to antibody-drug conjugate technology.
- Representing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in serious personal injury matter.
- Represented related pharmaceutical companies in litigation and arbitrations arising from the development and transfer of rights to an oncology drug candidate and the licensing and development of monoclonal antibodies. Obtained an arbitration award of over $173.5 million.
- Represented plaintiff American West Homes in a case involving claims of fraud, breach of contract, and breach of guaranty related to the formation of a home development company that lost $20 million. After a month-long trial, obtained complete plaintiff’s verdict, and decision ensuring judgment in excess of $20 million. Obtained favorable settlement based on ruling.
- Represented Toyota Motor Sales in multiple class actions alleging various false advertising, product liability and UCL claims involving Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Obtained favorable settlement and outright dismissal through early dispositive motions.
- Represented plaintiffs in a class action against a major life insurance company for B & P 17200 and sales practice fraud. Case resolved after successful settlement where the recovery was valued in excess of $100 million.
- Successfully represented IBM in patent litigation with ASUSTek Computer Inc. involving offensive and defensive patent claims in SD. Cal. Matter resolved favorably following settlement.
- Successfully represented IBM in connection with patent disputes brought by notorious patent troll Technology Properties, LTD.
- Successfully represented a global telecommunications company in worldwide litigation against Qualcomm over patents in the cellular telephone industry held by both companies.
- Represented Roche Molecular Systems and Roche Diagnostics in a suit by a prominent university over the alleged infringement of patents which use PCR technology to measure the viral load in HIV patients. Firm obtained favorable result on appeal before the Federal Circuit and Supreme Court, awarding patent rights to Roche in leading case involving invention ownership rights.
- Represented real estate developer in class actions involving construction defect claims.
- Represented Northrop Grumman in False Claims Act case related to allegedly defective aerial target drones.
- Represented Farmers Insurance in class action related to use of non-OEM replacement parts in repairs.
- University of California, Hastings College of the Law
(J.D., cum laude, 1998)- Order of the Coif
- Thurston Society
- University of California, Los Angeles
(B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Tau Beta Pi, 1995)
- The State Bar of California
- United States District Courts:
- Central District of California
- Northern District of California
- Southern District of California
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, Los Angeles:
- Associate, 2000-2002
- Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, LLP, Los Angeles:
- Associate, 1998-2000
- Lawdragon 500, Leading Energy Lawyers - Energy Litigation, 2024
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Global Energy Disputes & Litigation, 2023
- Super Lawyers Magazine, published in Los Angeles Magazine:
- Southern California Rising Star, 2013
- Southern California Rising Star, 2012
- Southern California Rising Star, 2011
- Southern California Rising Star, 2010
- Southern California Rising Star, 2008